Travel Nurse Housing
Real Estate Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2014 · 72 posts · 9 votes
Travel Nurse Housing
Most Popular Reply
Member since 2022 · 13 posts · 22 votes
4yThere is a fb page called Furnished Finders, medical professionals use it as it was started by a travel nurse. Although many travelers are posting negative remarks complaining about both Furnished Finders and Airbnb LL's.
Comments state that some LL's are locking out the thermostats, the condition of the properties are bad, and feeling "scammed". I have never had this experience just what I am reading.
A great way to market to travelers is to reach out to Nurse Recruiters/Agencies. They can then refer a traveler who will be in your area. It is a win-win for both parties. Many nurses will also refer each other to properties.
Lastly, you can just post your property on your personal fb page. I am sure there is someone who knows someone who travels. I am happy to post on my page if you would like. I am a member of several large travel nursing groups.
32 Replies
- 4yJohn UnderwoodPro MemberInvestor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
Try FB marketplace.
- Member since 2022 · 13 posts · 22 votes4y
There is a fb page called Furnished Finders, medical professionals use it as it was started by a travel nurse. Although many travelers are posting negative remarks complaining about both Furnished Finders and Airbnb LL's.
Comments state that some LL's are locking out the thermostats, the condition of the properties are bad, and feeling "scammed". I have never had this experience just what I am reading.
A great way to market to travelers is to reach out to Nurse Recruiters/Agencies. They can then refer a traveler who will be in your area. It is a win-win for both parties. Many nurses will also refer each other to properties.
Lastly, you can just post your property on your personal fb page. I am sure there is someone who knows someone who travels. I am happy to post on my page if you would like. I am a member of several large travel nursing groups.
- 4yLuke CarlPro MemberRental Property Investor · Tennessee Florida · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 5k+ votes
Furnished finder.
I don’t understand the traveling nurse thing. That’s like saying I’ll only rent this long term to students. Why limit yourself.
- Asheville, NC · Member since 2017 · 385 posts · 274 votes4y
I think you will find that travel nurses are expecting lower prices due to their profession and stipend. The market will dictate mid term rental prices. Not what nurses are willing to pay. But, I understand if you are wanting to cater to that profession out of a need for health care in your area. That said, you can use furnished finder and a few travel nurse fb groups. We didn't see any results from any of those places for our mid term rental and ended up finding tenants through air bnb for our furnished montly rental.
- Member since 2022 · 13 posts · 22 votes4y
At the very beginning of COVID some nurses were able to rent hotels and airbnb's a lower prices. Hotels gave small discounts to nurses that were members of professional nursing organizations. Housing discounts ended shortly before COVID Crisis contracts ended. Maybe those medical professionals asking for discounts are hoping they get lucky.
Hospitals are pushing back on travel nurses. For the last six months, contracts are being offered at very low pay, even with the stipend. Recently, I have been seeing nurses sleep in their car to save their stipend. Dangerous, but they need to work but contracts are paying so low they aren't able to afford housing. Feast or famine.
However, there are lots professions who work contracts. My wife is the director of training academy for a government agency. Her academy's training is three months long with classes starting every two weeks. The trainees work really hard to get into the academy and work even harder while attending.
Sounds like you are exploring different groups of people to market too. I wish you the best of luck!
- 4yDon KonipolBusiness MemberInvestor · The Woodlands TX / Avon, CT · Member since 2009 · 6k+ posts · 10k+ votesHi Hollee. Do you have suggestions for investors wanting to find specific companies or government agencies either hiring short term out of town workers, or providing educational training for same? Is there some kind of directory or way to identify these institutions so an investor with a rental(s) available can more successfully target this market?
Quote from @Hollee Mills:
At the very beginning of COVID some nurses were able to rent hotels and airbnb's a lower prices. Hotels gave small discounts to nurses that were members of professional nursing organizations. Housing discounts ended shortly before COVID Crisis contracts ended. Maybe those medical professionals asking for discounts are hoping they get lucky.
Hospitals are pushing back on travel nurses. For the last six months, contracts are being offered at very low pay, even with the stipend. Recently, I have been seeing nurses sleep in their car to save their stipend. Dangerous, but they need to work but contracts are paying so low they aren't able to afford housing. Feast or famine.
However, there are lots professions who work contracts. My wife is the director of training academy for a government agency. Her academy's training is three months long with classes starting every two weeks. The trainees work really hard to get into the academy and work even harder while attending.
Sounds like you are exploring different groups of people to market too. I wish you the best of luck!
- Member since 2022 · 13 posts · 22 votes4y
The best way to see government training facilities is to Google different agency names with training facilities. DOJ, DOD, CBP, even Coast Gaurd, etc... they all have facilities across the US. Some even have facilities in territories, ie Saint Thomas. Once you locate them find out who the director is and mail them a letter/brochure with property information. Most of the time the local hotels do not have enough room to accommodate all of the trainees.
For example two trainees are sharing a tuff shed that someone converted into a loft like studio. It does have running water and electricity. But with two grown men it is very small. Good thing they work 14 hrs a day.
The good thing about renting to these type of trainees is that they can have their agency send the funds directly to the landlord.
- Investor · Member since 2021 · 65 posts · 33 votes4y
Furnished finders has worked well. I have also seen people have success in FB groups for traveling professionals.
- Financial Advisor · San Antonio Texas · Member since 2022 · 100 posts · 53 votes4y
Quote from @Jon A.:
I think you will find that travel nurses are expecting lower prices due to their profession and stipend. The market will dictate mid term rental prices. Not what nurses are willing to pay. But, I understand if you are wanting to cater to that profession out of a need for health care in your area. That said, you can use furnished finder and a few travel nurse fb groups. We didn't see any results from any of those places for our mid term rental and ended up finding tenants through air bnb for our furnished montly rental.
Hey Jon - I'm considering furnished finder and stepping into the mid term rental area for a house hack. Was longterm Airbnb more profitable for you compared to other booking services?
- Financial Advisor · San Antonio Texas · Member since 2022 · 100 posts · 53 votes4y
Quote from @Don Konipol:
Hi Hollee. Do you have suggestions for investors wanting to find specific companies or government agencies either hiring short term out of town workers, or providing educational training for same? Is there some kind of directory or way to identify these institutions so an investor with a rental(s) available can more successfully target this market?Quote from @Hollee Mills:
At the very beginning of COVID some nurses were able to rent hotels and airbnb's a lower prices. Hotels gave small discounts to nurses that were members of professional nursing organizations. Housing discounts ended shortly before COVID Crisis contracts ended. Maybe those medical professionals asking for discounts are hoping they get lucky.
Hospitals are pushing back on travel nurses. For the last six months, contracts are being offered at very low pay, even with the stipend. Recently, I have been seeing nurses sleep in their car to save their stipend. Dangerous, but they need to work but contracts are paying so low they aren't able to afford housing. Feast or famine.
However, there are lots professions who work contracts. My wife is the director of training academy for a government agency. Her academy's training is three months long with classes starting every two weeks. The trainees work really hard to get into the academy and work even harder while attending.
Sounds like you are exploring different groups of people to market too. I wish you the best of luck!
Hey Don, I've considered this myself. I've been in the guard for 15 years. I just learned about something called military crashpads. They are highly profitable from what I've seen. Troops rent rooms out from you at the gov rate which is around $120-$130 a night. You will need to read the joint travel regulation because your place will have to meet certain criteria to be eligible. Marketing is also crucial because you won't be listed on the Defense Travel Website as an option. Generally, you need to beat feet on the street with old school networking around military bases. It's possible and profitable but not easy. You also need to own luxury real estate because your competition already does. I would love to get into this in San Antonio, but the property would cost about $700k and that doesn't include furnishing it. That's out of my scope for now.
- 4yJoshua MessingerBusiness MemberProperty Manager · Poconos, PA · Member since 2020 · 443 posts · 264 votes
Hey @Cameron Brulotte!
Travel nurses will occasionally use short-term listing platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to book their stay. But, now there are websites out there that are specifically for medical professionals like Furnished Finder which seems to pretty work well for people in the forums. I wouldn't just limit yourself to these platforms though - I would recommend you list your listing on multiple platforms like Zillow, Turbotenant, FB marketplace, FB groups, Apartments.com, Redfin, etc. The amount of marketing you can do is endless but the real question you need to be asking yourself is what is the demand like for this type of consumer is given your property's location, amenities, etc.
Think outside the box! If you need anything at all please don't hesitate to reach out!
All the best,
Josh
- Investor · FL · Member since 2022 · 2 posts · 3 votes4y
@Cameron Brulotte furnished finders. I'm a travel nurse and that's where I always check
- Real Estate Agent · Princeton, NJ · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes4y
@Cameron Brulotte - 99/100 inexperienced STR people thinking about doing STR say they want travel nurses. Probably 99/100 end up hosting people other than travel nurses if they ever get started. Because there's a wide variety of people who are looking for places - people with new jobs in town who haven't figured out where to get an apartment yet, or who are on apartment waiting lists. Most of my best customers are professional men who have another home (and often family) somewhere else who are working locally, usually without a definitive end date.
- Residential Real Estate Broker · Silver Spring, MD · Member since 2015 · 3 posts · 6 votes4y
@Cameron Brulotte I have used furnished finder for almost 2 years, with great success and rarely any vacancy loss. The key with furnished finder is to upload professional photos of the property, as furnished finder ranks properties with better imagery higher. I also provide professional video links on the content page. My 2-unit property (700SF, 2BR/2BA each) is strategically located within 2 miles of 4 hospitals in the NW area of Washington DC. 90% of my leases extend/renew for an additional 3. The monthly rent is $3800/month per unit and a $2000 security deposit per unit. I provide biweekly cleaning, which helps with a quick turnover. Many nurses have excellent credit, are quiet, and leave the property in reasonably good condition when they move out. The DC area is one of the highest-paying states for nurse travelers. Many receive a monthly housing stipend of $5000 to $6000/month. Mid-term rental over long-term rental is the best decision I have made since STR is not allowed for non-owner-occupied properties in DC anyway. I wish you good luck!
- Financial Advisor · San Antonio Texas · Member since 2022 · 100 posts · 53 votes4y
Quote from @Tawa Olanrewaju:
@Cameron Brulotte I have used furnished finder for almost 2 years, with great success and rarely any vacancy loss. The key with furnished finder is to upload professional photos of the property, as furnished finder ranks properties with better imagery higher. I also provide professional video links on the content page. My 2-unit property (700SF, 2BR/2BA each) is strategically located within 2 miles of 4 hospitals in the NW area of Washington DC. 90% of my leases extend/renew for an additional 3. The monthly rent is $3800/month per unit and a $2000 security deposit per unit. I provide biweekly cleaning, which helps with a quick turnover. Many nurses have excellent credit, are quiet, and leave the property in reasonably good condition when they move out. The DC area is one of the highest-paying states for nurse travelers. Many receive a monthly housing stipend of $5000 to $6000/month. Mid-term rental over long-term rental is the best decision I have made since STR is not allowed for non-owner-occupied properties in DC anyway. I wish you good luck!
So you're saying FF will place your listing higher just for better quality photos uploaded?
- Investor · Member since 2022 · 112 posts · 150 votes4y
Quote from @Natalie Schanne:
@Cameron Brulotte - 99/100 inexperienced STR people thinking about doing STR say they want travel nurses. Probably 99/100 end up hosting people other than travel nurses if they ever get started. Because there's a wide variety of people who are looking for places - people with new jobs in town who haven't figured out where to get an apartment yet, or who are on apartment waiting lists. Most of my best customers are professional men who have another home (and often family) somewhere else who are working locally, usually without a definitive end date.
@Cameron Brulotte this post is it! I am a travel nurse and I rent my place out aimed at travel nurses. I like the midterm because its less turnover, I have had nurses, people waiting for their homes to be remodeled or built, business people in town for an extended time. I have had them all be great. I love the midterm because I have found people to be more respectful, they aren't there to party but they leave sooner than a long term which allows for adequate repairs and maintenance to be done so things stay up to date. I aim at nurses because its what I know, and there is a chance they stay longer than 3 months, but I am about 50/50 on past renters being nurses.
That being said, Furnished Finder is great, I also use airbnb and vrbo. Just remember with FF you will have to create your own lease, its not like airbnb so no insurance or contracts unless you have them signed. If it is nurses, getting a husband and wife is always my favorite. Also, if you can do pet friendly that will help your cause! best of luck and welcome to the midterm game!
- 4yBonnie LowPro MemberLender · Asheville, NC · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
@Luke Carl most people use the term "travel nurses" generically to mean mid term rentals, just like people use Airbnb to mean short term rentals. It's not limiting, it's just a more common term. Most people I talk to in the MTR market niche are open to anyone looking for 30+day stays or whatever time minimum their location allows.
- Member since 2021 · 3 posts · 1 vote4y
In addition to all of the other great suggestions, I recently heard on a podcast to use www.travelnursehousing.com to list your property. One question I have for both landlords and the travel nurses on this thread: how do travel nurses feel about renting out a room versus the entire property? Do nurses look for roommates to keep costs down?
- 4yColleen F.Pro MemberInvestor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
@Brooke Reynolds www.travelnursehousing.com site is the same as furnished finder. If you list on FF your listing goes up on travelnursehouing.com too. I just started doing this and had quite a few contacts on a room. People do prefer not to share bathrooms although we filled ours with a shared Bath. It is kind of a one off for us because we can't do STR and we don't want to do LTR as a family member will return to the space.
- Investor · Herndon, VA · Member since 2017 · 6 posts · 2 votes4y
Quote from @Luke Carl:
Furnished finder.
I don’t understand the traveling nurse thing. That’s like saying I’ll only rent this long term to students. Why limit yourself.
Yeah, its more of a place to start in the STR/MTR world, rather than a self selection of tenants by occupation.
- Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2017 · 31 posts · 16 votes4y
@Cameron Brulotte
For my ADU I've used rotatingroom.com for quite some time. It caters toward med students but we recently had a nurse finish a six month contract with us. She found us on RR. We got exactly what we asked for price wise. If your place is furnished most will pay what you ask.
- Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 292 votes4y
Furnished Finder is a great avenue for the mid-term rental market. Mid-term being 30+ day stays. It doesn't have to be exclusively traveling nurses; there is business professionals, Contractors, etc. It's a great strategy and is a market entirely different than the STR market.
- Residential Real Estate Broker · Silver Spring, MD · Member since 2015 · 3 posts · 6 votes4y
Quote from @William Joel Idleman:
Quote from @Tawa Olanrewaju:
@Cameron Brulotte I have used furnished finder for almost 2 years, with great success and rarely any vacancy loss. The key with furnished finder is to upload professional photos of the property, as furnished finder ranks properties with better imagery higher. I also provide professional video links on the content page. My 2-unit property (700SF, 2BR/2BA each) is strategically located within 2 miles of 4 hospitals in the NW area of Washington DC. 90% of my leases extend/renew for an additional 3. The monthly rent is $3800/month per unit and a $2000 security deposit per unit. I provide biweekly cleaning, which helps with a quick turnover. Many nurses have excellent credit, are quiet, and leave the property in reasonably good condition when they move out. The DC area is one of the highest-paying states for nurse travelers. Many receive a monthly housing stipend of $5000 to $6000/month. Mid-term rental over long-term rental is the best decision I have made since STR is not allowed for non-owner-occupied properties in DC anyway. I wish you good luck!
So you're saying FF will place your listing higher just for better quality photos uploaded?
Like any other platform (Zillow, MLS, apartment.com, etc.), properties with better photos and video qualities will have higher hits, clicks, or interests. Responding faster to inquiries from the nurses also helps. Here's a podcast interview with Furnished Finder's CEO.
- Residential Real Estate Broker · Silver Spring, MD · Member since 2015 · 3 posts · 6 votes4y
Quote from @Luke Carl:
Furnished finder.
I don’t understand the traveling nurse thing. That’s like saying I’ll only rent this long term to students. Why limit yourself.
I listed on several platforms for MTR on MLS (with links to 25 other search engines), apartment.com, and Craigslist without much success. As soon as I listed on Furnished Finders, I got my place rented within a week, and I have had over 98% occupancy rate since I started.
- Investor · Wilkesboro, NC · Member since 2015 · 9 posts · 1 vote4y
@Luke Carl I don't rent to nurses personally but work with a lot of them. The agencies they work for give them a stipend for housing. My understanding is you get more income, like a STR.
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